Non-Feminists

Why do some people choose not to be feminists? I have concluded that these people fall into one or more of these categories: they either actually believe that only men are capable of doing all the work, or they don’t know what feminism truly stands for. Others do know what it stands for, but they do not see the need for it in our society.

Looking throughout history, it is pretty evident that men’s names come up much more often than women’s. Just looking at U.S. history, women received the right to vote in 1920 — not even one hundred years ago, and even then it took well over a century for women to win that right (The Fight). All of America’s past presidents there is one thing that they all have in common: that they are all men. It is very plausible to see how some can believe that only men are made for work and making all the decisions. The media is also to blame for this belief. Typing in a quick Google search of the word “boss,” I was greeted with mostly angry males sitting at a desk yelling at people. It took a full minute of scrolling to find a picture with solely a female in it, and this was the image:

I don’t really know what this has to do with being a boss, but she hardly seems ready to manage a company.

The most common misconception about feminists is that they are in reality just misandrists. These “feminists” have received the nickname of “feminazis, “ though I dont know why it seemed okay to compare an equal rights movement after the mass genocide of millions of people. But these ‘feminazis” are by no means real feminists. They are close minded, sexist women who believe in female superiority, and think that anyone who doesn’t agree with one of their points is a misogynist. They are opposed to every man and thinks that all of them are rapists, opposed to knowing that not all men are out to get them. On the other hand, a real feminist is someone who supports women’s rights and believes in gender equality. They are open minded, educated people, and believe or not, they can also be male. People nowadays should be able to tell the difference between the two.

Yet the worst non-feminists are those who know fully well what it stands for, but just simply don’t think it’s needed. Either they themselves don’t feel victimized by the patriarchy, or they just really don’t see why or where sexism is a problem. When I say that I’m a feminist, some people, even my friends, have laughed at me and said that women already have their rights. While they laugh at me, they are also laughing at the fifteen million girls who will be child brides this year, they are laughing at millions of young girls who will sold into slavery, they are laughing at the 70% of women in India who are victims of domestic abuse. They are laughing at the one in five women in the United States who are victims of rape, and at all of the people in the world who are discriminated against because of their gender (Sawyer). I don’t laugh at their rape jokes, I don’t laugh when they tell me to “Get in the kitchen and make me a sandwhich,” I don’t laugh at their utter ignorance and neglect at an issue as important as this.

In conclusion, those who chose to not identify as feminists have either bought into what the patriarchy has fed them, or they have been put off feminism by misandrists. If you ever encounter one of these people, please educate them about what feminism truly is and what it stands for. But to those who deliberately choose not to be feminists and support equal rights, know that basic human rights are not funny, and that the suffering an entire gender is not a joke you are allowed to make.